Thousands of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in Quynh Phu district, the northern province of Thai Binh, have seen their health improve and been able to integrate into the community thanks to a project jointly launched by the Health Ministry and the Hanoi School of Public Health. Quynh Phu district has more than 8,300 AO victims with over 6,300 of the first generation and 2,000 of the second.
With the largest number of AO victims in Thai Binh, Quynh Phu has been selected as one of the three districts nationwide, together with Son Tinh in the central province of Quang Ngai and Long Thanh in the southern province of Dong Nai, to pilot the project. Dang Duc To, Head of the district Health Office, said nearly 230 collaborators in 38 towns and communes across the district have participated in the project, adding that each of them has helped rehabilitate 15-20 AO victims and people with disabilities. Since 2008, up to 3,500 people, including over 300 AO victims, have received regular rehabilitation annually. Nearly 1,400 people, of whom 61 are AO victims, have reintegrated into the community. The project has expanded its reach to disabled people as each year Quynh Phu district has an additional 150 people with disabilities due to injuries and diseases. According to Nguyen Duc Hanh, President of the Thai Binh Association of AO Victims, the province has more than 34,000 AO victims with over 3,000 of the second generation. However, only 21,000 people have, to date, benefited from social allowances. The model will then be implemented in other seven cities and districts in Thai Binh province, helping improve health for AO victims and people with disabilities. (vietnamplus.vn Nov 26)
